LOCATION, SORTED
Test from anywhere.
Drop a pin, search a place, or revisit a saved favorite. Give your location-aware website a change of scenery.
A little less setup. A lot more flow. Your web app.
Your web app.
In the iOS Simulator.
Open localhost in Safari on iOS, set a location, attach Web Inspector.
All in place. So you can get back to building.
Free beta · Apple silicon · macOS 15+ · Xcode required
A SMALL MAC APP. A BETTER START.
LESS WINDOW JUGGLING
Everything in its place.
You in your flow.
Three native tools. One place to start.
The familiar workflow, without the repetitive setup.
Device Helm MADE FOR macOS
Built around the tools you knowiOS Simulator+Safari Web Inspector+Apple Maps
FROM SETUP TO STARTED
A shorter path to
“let’s test that.”
WORKFLOW PREVIEW
Page opened
Localhost. Meet iPhone.
http://localhost:3000
Safari · iOS Simulator
WORKFLOW PREVIEW
Location set
Anywhere in the world.
London, England
51.5034° N · 0.0795° W
WORKFLOW PREVIEW
Inspector attached
Get straight to the details.
Safari Web Inspector
Elements · Console · Network
SMALL DETAILS. LESS FRICTION.
Made for the way
you already work.
THE REAL NATIVE TOOLS
Inspect. Navigate. Keep going.
Use the full Safari Web Inspector. Inspection stays attached during normal navigation, so you can stay with the problem.
A place for every window.
Tile your tools together. Re-tile when you need to. Restore their previous positions when you stop.
Close the window. Keep the flow.
Your workspace keeps running in the menu bar, with reload, re-tile, and stop always within reach.
WHY DEVICE HELM EXISTS
Building is the interesting part.
Setting up shouldn’t be.
I built Device Helm to stop arranging the same windows and repeating the same steps every time I tested a website on iOS. A small, focused tool to make getting started feel a little more effortless.
Bernardo M. Guerreiro · Independent developerA FEW GOOD QUESTIONS
Before you
jump in.
What do I need to run it?
An Apple silicon Mac running macOS 15 or later and Xcode with an installed iOS Simulator runtime. Device Helm checks your setup and guides you through Accessibility permission on first launch. Safari’s developer features are only needed if you turn on Web Inspector in Settings.
Does it work with localhost?
Yes. Start your development server, enter its localhost URL in Device Helm, and open it in simulated Safari. Device Helm does not start the development server for you. To do it by hand, see how to test localhost in the iOS Simulator.
Is this a browser or device emulator?
Device Helm coordinates Apple’s real iOS Simulator and Safari Web Inspector. Their native windows are arranged together. Physical iPhones and iPads are not supported.
What can’t it do yet?
It’s a beta, so a few things are out of scope for now: it needs an Apple silicon Mac, works with the iOS Simulator only (not physical iPhones or iPads), sets a fixed location rather than simulating movement, and uses Safari Web Inspector, not Chrome DevTools. It doesn’t start your development server, and updates are downloaded manually when the app tells you one is available.
Something isn’t working. Where do I start?
Device Helm’s setup checks point to most fixes. For each check and common problems, like Web Inspector not attaching or Accessibility permission not sticking, see the troubleshooting guide. Still stuck? Use Send Feedback in the app’s Settings or menu bar.
Is the beta free?
Yes. The current beta is free, independently distributed, and requires no account or subscription. There is no analytics tracking: the app only checks this site for updates, and your URLs, locations, and favorites stay on your Mac.
How do I install the beta?
Download the DMG and drag Device Helm to Applications. The first launch needs one approval in System Settings. Follow the step-by-step first launch guide. You only do it once per download.
Why does macOS say it can’t verify Device Helm?
Device Helm is a free beta from one independent developer and isn’t notarized through Apple’s paid developer program for now. The app is signed and safe to approve. Read why, and how to open it.
GUIDES
Prefer doing it
by hand?
Step-by-step guides for testing websites in the iOS Simulator with Apple’s own tools.
All guides- 01How to test localhost in the iOS SimulatorOpen your local development server in the iOS Simulator’s Safari, including HTTPS dev servers and pages that use location.
- 02How to set a custom location in the iOS SimulatorTest a location-aware website from anywhere by setting the iOS Simulator’s location, from the Simulator menu or the command line.
- 03How to use Safari Web Inspector with the iOS SimulatorInspect elements, read the console, and debug network requests for a page running in the iOS Simulator’s Safari.
- 04Troubleshooting Device HelmHow to fix each setup check, and what to do when a page doesn’t open, Web Inspector doesn’t attach, or permissions don’t stick.
YOUR NEXT SESSION STARTS HERE
Less setup.
More building.
Give your iOS web workflow a little more room to flow.
Download for MacVersion 0.2.4 · Build 13 · Free beta
Apple silicon · macOS 15+ · Xcode required
NEW IN 0.2.4 Safer updates: Device Helm now downloads updates itself and checks they are signed by the same developer before opening them. All changes
Free beta, signed by its developer. The first launch needs one approval in Privacy & Security. See how.
Your download should start in a moment. Here’s how to open Device Helm the first time.
FIRST LAUNCH
One extra approval.
Then you’re set.
macOS asks you to confirm apps that aren’t notarized by Apple.
It takes about a minute, and you only do it once.
- 01
Install
Open the downloaded DMG and drag Device Helm onto the Applications folder.
- 02
Open it once
Open Device Helm from Applications. macOS says it couldn’t verify the app. Click Done, not Move to Trash.
- 03
Allow it in Settings
Choose Apple menu → System Settings → Privacy & Security. Scroll down to Security and click Open Anyway next to “Device Helm” was blocked.
- 04
Open Anyway
macOS asks one last time. Click Open Anyway, not the blue Move to Trash button. If asked, confirm with Touch ID or your password. Device Helm opens and guides you through Accessibility permission.
Don’t see Open Anyway? The button only appears shortly after a blocked launch. Open Device Helm again, then go back to Privacy & Security.
WHY THE EXTRA STEP
Free, independent, and upfront about it.
Device Helm is a free beta built by one independent developer. Removing this step requires Apple’s paid yearly developer program, which the beta doesn’t use for now. Without it, macOS can’t vouch for the app on Apple’s behalf, so it asks you to confirm instead. Many independent and open-source Mac tools work the same way.
- Signed by its developer. Every release carries the same signature, so updates are recognized and keep your Accessibility permission.
- No tracking. No analytics and no account. The app only checks this site for updates.
- Permissions with a purpose. Accessibility is used to arrange windows and, only if you turn it on, to open Safari’s Web Inspector.
- Verify your download. Run
shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/Device-Helm-0.2.4-13.dmgand compare it with:d8192523a4146a29d8e7e5dea387bf7a4717aa61c9818cd77d816c14242268e4